Perseverance

December 13, 2018

Failure is only failure if we let it stop us. The back wall of our Dunkirk church has issues. As near as we can figure, a plugged eavestrough and drain caused water to back up and seep through the masonry. The paint has peeled and the plaster cracked. The remaining plaster is plagued with bloom, a dusty residue that keeps forming as the moisture works its way through. 

We bought sealer and I’ve scraped that wall dozens of times. It feels dry to the touch, so today I decided to try the sealer, starting with brushing the trim. So far, so good. I dipped the roller into the sealer I had poured into the tray, and started on the wall. I don’t know what is in that sealer, but as soon as I rolled it over the painted area, the paint softened and peeled off in sheets. 

I’m not sure what to do next, but I’m not about to let an inert wall defeat me. It doesn’t look like it’ll be done for Christmas as I had hoped, but someone somewhere knows a lot more about masonry than I do, and is going to help us lick that wall. I’ve been a pastor for nearly 50 years, so I know a thing or two about perseverance. You don’t need a lot of talent if you just don’t quit. That back wall is an object lesson in church life. The problem you see isn’t always the real problem, and the solution you find isn’t always the real solution, but if you don’t quit, you can often fix even the most stubborn problems. I don’t know any more about what is needed to grow that congregation than I do about how to fix that wall, but I’ll find someone who knows, and when I do, this congregation will be whole and strong again, just like that wall will be. It will just take time and perseverance. I don’t know how much of the former I have, but I know I have enough of the latter, for which I am thankful tonight.